Chocolate Cherry Dr. Pepper Cupcakes

Chocolate Cherry Dr. Pepper Cupcakes (30 cupcakes)

2 ¼ cups of Dr. Pepper
2 cups of sugar
2 ½ cups of cake flour
2 eggs
4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate
½ cup of maraschino cherry syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 sticks of unsalted butter
pinch of salt
1 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
¼ cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 325º. In a medium size sauce pan bring Dr. Pepper & cherry syrup to a boil. Place chocolate and butter into a bowl and pour hot Dr. Pepper over, cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Whisk mixture till smooth. Stir in sugar, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and sour cream. Add flour in 2 parts alternating with the eggs and whisk till smooth. The mixture will be runny… but tasty. Fill cupcakes cups and bake approximately 15-20 minutes or until skewer comes out clean

Frost with:
4 eggs whites
1 cup sugar
3/8 c. maraschino cherry syrup

Whisk the egg whites and sugar over a water bath in the standing mixer bowl until it reaches a temperature of 110°F. Transfer to standing mixer and whisk using whisk attachment at high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5-7 minutes. Use to frost cupcake. Oh, and after piping the frosting on-use a kitchen torch to brown the meringue and top it with a cherry! :-)

**I liked these. Garth LOVED them. They are a very moist cupcake and kind of dense-therefore the need for a light frosting. The cherry is very subtle-so for me that was a plus! I will definitely make them again!